I tried going IIFYM today - here are my results

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Replies

  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    heres the menu for tonight's celebration - i believe it is doable -

    Skewered tomato, mozzarella and basil, cheese quesadilla. Fresh greens salad, bread and butter, angus pot roast, chicken mordela, baby red potatoes, carrots and beans, pasta and dessert

    It's great that you're planning ahead but you know what. Don't stress about the food. It's your high school reunion! Go and have a good time. If you over indulge today, you can make little adjustments over the next few days to compensate. It's not what you eat in one day but more what you over a weeks time that really matters. Just have fun.

    yes in the big picture - all week, it wont make a difference, but im glad its not a menu full of typical bar food - hot wings, french fried onion rings, hot dogs, etc.. but it has just about everything fabulous and nutritious :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Hi - I think i am finally "getting it".

    So you don't eat back your exercise calories? I have been doubtful of doing that, based on I am so large anyways, i don't think i will starve by not doing that.

    Maybe one day i will be able to embrace that, but for now, im just dealing with the treats thing as something to get ahold of.

    Depends:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    But that really has nothing to do with IIFYM per se.
  • tmt2003
    tmt2003 Posts: 176 Member
    Well in a way we ALL do IIFYM around here.. we are all trying to fit everything in our macros.

    So why is there such a war between what looks like 2 groups of people? I dont mean to insult anyone.

    there was a thread which someone said they were going to go cold turkey and others from the IIFYM crowd were giving their opposite points of view.

    I think i got a bad impression of what some of the people were saying in defense of IIFYM. Some people thought i was being too deprivating myself since I was not allowing myself treats.

    so while trying to work this out in my head, this is where I am,, and I dont know if i have a wall there or something because I interpreted it as if i dont have ice cream, fried chicken and poptarts, i was gonna be totally deprived and binge or something.

    But now i see even with you all who beleive in IIFM, there are limits you do put on yourself, so its not what i was interpreting. i see you guys as giving yourself to eat all these things, and i tried to copy that, and it did not work out.. so it is confusing.

    You are making weightloss too complicated. Sometimes that happens reading these boards with so many differing opinions and advice. Do what works for YOU.

    It is possible to lose weight without tracking your macros. People do it all the time just by counting calories. If you have trigger foods that you feel will derail you - avoid them. Who cares if "susie" thinks you are setting yourself up for failure?? if you have cravings that you feel will cause you to quit if you are completely deprived of them - then have them once in a while if they fit in your calories. Who cares if "joe" thinks its terrible because you don't eat 100% clean?? you are not "Mary" or "joe" they don't even know you - you know you and need to find what works for YOU. Which BTW may change a lot throughout your journey. When I first started I cut out junk cold turkey. I could not trust myself. I still didn't have a perfect diet but it was a hell of a lot better than the diet that got me to 250+ pounds. After a few months of eating better and losing weight I was able to bring back some of my favorite treats in moderation, which for me meant making healthy choices and indulging in 2 cookies at the end of the day if I could have them and stay within my calorie limit. It was only after I lost the majority of my weight did I even look at my macros and try to track those. Now that does take some planning and honestly I didn't do very well at it :)

    If you can't grasp the concept of tracking macros or its too much for you right now - so what? You can always revisit it later. At the end of the day YOUR journey is about YOU. Do what works for YOU.

    Teresa
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member

    I also wanted to know in this thread how you all deal with treats, because that is the current issue I have now, can i bring back some treats that i gave up in the beginning and how do you handle eating sweets so that maybe I can use some of your successes with them. And am i ready to bring them back? Not quite i have learned.

    You get to know with time what "treats" cost calorie wise and you plan them in. You actually didn't do that bad yesterday if you'd thought ahead. You could have eaten half a piece of baklava or one brownie and been fine. My weakness is an iced cappucino. I know that a medium is going to cost me 230 calories so I make sure I have that available in my day for my treat and I pretty much have on everyday.

    I don't get hung up on macros as far as worrying if I hit a certain amount of protein or go over a bit on sugar. I've never understood the obsession some people have with eating certain amounts of protein. I do fine eating what I want (what, not how much) without worrying about if it has enough protein. I'm not a bodybuilder and I don't have any high athletic expectations so I muddle along just keeping the calories in check.

    The key to treats (I hate using that term, food is food) is moderation. Decide how many calories you want to devote to a treat and stick to it. I'm pretty sure the average MFP user isn't following anything more than staying within their calorie budget and has no idea how macros even fit into the program. When you post on the forums you get knowledgeable people who that all of this seriously while most people aren't participating on here and just do their own thing.
  • bound4beauty
    bound4beauty Posts: 274 Member
    Hi - I think i am finally "getting it".

    So you don't eat back your exercise calories? I have been doubtful of doing that, based on I am so large anyways, i don't think i will starve by not doing that.

    Maybe one day i will be able to embrace that, but for now, im just dealing with the treats thing as something to get ahold of.

    I don't because they are already factored in. If you do the TDEE method then that number takes into account your exercise. As long as you have correctly estimated the number of calories you burn each day in order to determine your TDEE, then you're already eating your exercise calories. I have a FitBit that estimates the number of calories I burn each day. It's around 2000 give or take a hundred on any given day. So for me, TDEE minus 20% is 1600 calories a day. Some days I burn more, some days a little less but over the course of time, it all evens out.

    But as Sara (who helped me determine what my calorie and macros should be), said....that has nothing to do with IIFYM. Once you've determined what your macros should be, how you spend them is up to you. That's were the big debates come in.
  • MommyisFit
    MommyisFit Posts: 139 Member
    I am pretty new to the IIFYM method and I find it really works well for me.

    I eat around 1200 calories a day during the week (I am not suggesting you do this - I am much smaller) and do not eat back my exercise calories - because I tend to have a cheat night a week where I eat more around maintenance. (last night!)

    I am not 100% perfect with my macros, but I try to be really close. I actually eat A LOT of yummy food for the 1200 calories and throw in a treat every once in awhile - I do not keep treats in my house! When I want one, I go out and get ONE serving. Makes it so you cannot binge. I don't worry if there Is a day or 2 where I go over slightly on my carbs. I try to fit the macros most of he time.

    Feel free to check out my dairy - it is open. (Though I did not log last weekend) You can also add me if you want to see my food diary daily.

    Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck in your journey!
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    Hi - I think i am finally "getting it".

    So you don't eat back your exercise calories? I have been doubtful of doing that, based on I am so large anyways, i don't think i will starve by not doing that.

    Maybe one day i will be able to embrace that, but for now, im just dealing with the treats thing as something to get ahold of.

    Depends:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    But that really has nothing to do with IIFYM per se.

    Hi - yes I do get the concept of the eating back your exercise calories, but the point for me to exercise is to use up more calories, but i dont exercise that much anyway, so when i do a bit, its not going to make much difference, actually lately i've been forgetting to take time to go to the gym.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I'm not willing to open my diary at this time, but normal it looks like this:

    Breakfast:
    Coffee
    Coffee creamer
    Oatmeal bread, toasted with light margarine
    Toasted coconut full fat greek yogurt

    Lunch:
    1 cup 2% cottage cheese
    200 grams raw strawberries
    2 graham crackers

    Dinner:
    6 oz protein
    1 serving starch (potatoes or rice)
    1 serving green veggie

    Snacks:
    2 servings raw veggies
    1 serving raw fruit (peaches are in season)
    1 cup low-cal ice cream (I like Edy's) or 1/2 cup higher calorie gelato


    That's normally. This past week hasn't been normal so I've just been doing the best I can to at least get enough protein.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    Hey all - I'm sorry if I'm writing so much, but it helps.

    so that other thread where the guy was saying he was going cold turkey on his snack food to start his diet, he got a lot of criticism, from some of you who eat food moderately, and strongly disagreed with him (i don't mean the wasting food in the garbage plea) but if he was just cutting back, what was wrong with that? I didn't see that guy as doing anything wrong by cutting back on junk food (except of course the ones who felt he should have donated the food, but i don't mean that part).

    I think that topic upset me with what i was reading some responses that he seemed to have a good approach but was getting somewhat dissed by some people in the "everything in moderation" crowd.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Hi - I think i am finally "getting it".

    So you don't eat back your exercise calories? I have been doubtful of doing that, based on I am so large anyways, i don't think i will starve by not doing that.

    Maybe one day i will be able to embrace that, but for now, im just dealing with the treats thing as something to get ahold of.

    Depends:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    But that really has nothing to do with IIFYM per se.

    Hi - yes I do get the concept of the eating back your exercise calories, but the point for me to exercise is to use up more calories, but i dont exercise that much anyway, so when i do a bit, its not going to make much difference, actually lately i've been forgetting to take time to go to the gym.

    If you read the thread, you will see it isn't just about eating back exercise calories. It's about how there are different methods, not just one.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    I'm not willing to open my diary at this time, but normal it looks like this:

    Breakfast:
    Coffee
    Coffee creamer
    Oatmeal bread, toasted with light margarine
    Toasted coconut full fat greek yogurt

    Lunch:
    1 cup 2% cottage cheese
    200 grams raw strawberries
    2 graham crackers

    Dinner:
    6 oz protein
    1 serving starch (potatoes or rice)
    1 serving green veggie

    Snacks:
    2 servings raw veggies
    1 serving raw fruit (peaches are in season)
    1 cup low-cal ice cream (I like Edy's) or 1/2 cup higher calorie gelato


    That's normally. This past week hasn't been normal so I've just been doing the best I can to at least get enough protein.

    that sounds like a really great menu for the day :)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Hey all - I'm sorry if I'm writing so much, but it helps.

    so that other thread where the guy was saying he was going cold turkey on his snack food to start his diet, he got a lot of criticism, from some of you who eat food moderately, and strongly disagreed with him (i don't mean the wasting food in the garbage plea) but if he was just cutting back, what was wrong with that? I didn't see that guy as doing anything wrong by cutting back on junk food (except of course the ones who felt he should have donated the food, but i don't mean that part).

    I think that topic upset me with what i was reading some responses that he seemed to have a good approach but was getting somewhat dissed by some people in the "everything in moderation" crowd.

    The problem with the cold turkey approach and throwing everything way, saying you'll never eat "junk" again is that for most people that sets up an environment of deprivation. If I want to eat something and you keep telling me I can never eat that then it's pretty much all I think about. Next thing I'm neck deep in a tub of ice cream, binging and then figure why bother with this at all. It's not sustainable for most people. Life isn't above being a martyr and wearing a hair shirt. You just have to make a balance between eating "healthy" food and eating "junk" food. If you make good choices 80% of the time it will all work out.
  • MrsFowler1069
    MrsFowler1069 Posts: 657 Member
    Hey all - I'm sorry if I'm writing so much, but it helps.

    so that other thread where the guy was saying he was going cold turkey on his snack food to start his diet, he got a lot of criticism, from some of you who eat food moderately, and strongly disagreed with him (i don't mean the wasting food in the garbage plea) but if he was just cutting back, what was wrong with that? I didn't see that guy as doing anything wrong by cutting back on junk food (except of course the ones who felt he should have donated the food, but i don't mean that part).

    I think that topic upset me with what i was reading some responses that he seemed to have a good approach but was getting somewhat dissed by some people in the "everything in moderation" crowd.

    Well, everyone likes to be "right" also. :/
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    Hey all - I'm sorry if I'm writing so much, but it helps.

    so that other thread where the guy was saying he was going cold turkey on his snack food to start his diet, he got a lot of criticism, from some of you who eat food moderately, and strongly disagreed with him (i don't mean the wasting food in the garbage plea) but if he was just cutting back, what was wrong with that? I didn't see that guy as doing anything wrong by cutting back on junk food (except of course the ones who felt he should have donated the food, but i don't mean that part).

    I think that topic upset me with what i was reading some responses that he seemed to have a good approach but was getting somewhat dissed by some people in the "everything in moderation" crowd.

    it was the mindset people were disagreeing with.

    nobody actually cares if you choose to NOT eat a food because you consider it a trigger food. but to blame your weight on snack foods and to therefore say eating them is incompatible with losing weight is a different matter... it's just not true.

    if i told you that you should eat a 210 calorie breakfast, would you consider that a good way to start the day to stay under your daily calorie goal? if your answer is yes, then consider this...

    3 hardboiled eggs = 210 calories
    1 pop tart = 210 calories

    as far as your body is concerned, that's the same amount of fuel. what is different is the mix of macros (and micros) in those two choices. if you know you'll get sufficient macros (and micros) with your meals the rest of the day, then there is no harm in choosing the pop tart over the eggs if you want to. however, if somebody was saying that eating a pop tart was preventing him from losing weight. then he's wrong. and he misunderstands this whole process at a pretty fundamental level.

    that's why IIFYM > clean eating or any other fad.

    the clean eaters believe that if they simply eat "good" foods in whatever amounts they want, they will magically achieve their goals. they won't. they still have to monitor their nutrition and calorie input. but an IIFYM'er understand that from the get go and is able to choose "good" and "bad" foods to meet those goals while also enjoying their occasional treats.

    BTW, there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" food. i just used those terms to help you understand.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I'm not willing to open my diary at this time, but normal it looks like this:

    Breakfast:
    Coffee
    Coffee creamer
    Oatmeal bread, toasted with light margarine
    Toasted coconut full fat greek yogurt

    Lunch:
    1 cup 2% cottage cheese
    200 grams raw strawberries
    2 graham crackers

    Dinner:
    6 oz protein
    1 serving starch (potatoes or rice)
    1 serving green veggie

    Snacks:
    2 servings raw veggies
    1 serving raw fruit (peaches are in season)
    1 cup low-cal ice cream (I like Edy's) or 1/2 cup higher calorie gelato


    That's normally. This past week hasn't been normal so I've just been doing the best I can to at least get enough protein.

    that sounds like a really great menu for the day :)

    And the whole concept is that the ice cream fits her macros - and she has got fruits and veggies in.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Hey all - I'm sorry if I'm writing so much, but it helps.

    so that other thread where the guy was saying he was going cold turkey on his snack food to start his diet, he got a lot of criticism, from some of you who eat food moderately, and strongly disagreed with him (i don't mean the wasting food in the garbage plea) but if he was just cutting back, what was wrong with that? I didn't see that guy as doing anything wrong by cutting back on junk food (except of course the ones who felt he should have donated the food, but i don't mean that part).

    I think that topic upset me with what i was reading some responses that he seemed to have a good approach but was getting somewhat dissed by some people in the "everything in moderation" crowd.

    I don't know if there are "crowds" on here or not. But, this is the internet (I didn't read that thread, so not commenting on that specifically), there are going to be all kinds of different people on here with their own pre-conceived ideas and judgements and opinions and stereotypes, etc. And they don't know you personally. Different things work for different people. So, as long as you are not harming yourself and you are not incredibly unhappy (when there are other options to help with that), you should do what works for you personally in your own physical, mental and emotional life. Not every person follows the same methods and not everyone even follows those same methods all the time (even an individual person will eat and behave somewhat differently in regards to food depending if they are on maintenance, a bulk, or a cut). Sometimes you need to learn to gather the info that you find helpful and tune out the stuff that you find annoying and know does not apply to your own personal life. Everyone does that on the internet. We are not all going to agree. We are all going to have moments when we feel annoyed by people on the internet (either for good reason or because we misunderstood them based on our own pre-conceieved judgements). It is clearly shown from your post that you are getting upset with people mainly based on not understanding what they are saying. And not everything that gets said on the internet is meant for you personally (or for me or for anyone). So, just keep learning, doing what works for you physically, mentally, emotionally. And if you realize it's not really working or it stops working then you can change things or look for other options.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    yes isn't it funny when a poptart or cake has LESS calories than a nutritious dinner of meat and other stuff (like a sandwich). I saw that when i was in Walgreens and trying to find something with less calories to eat the other day (ended up with a Lean Pocket). there was a decent size piece of chocolate cake for 480 calories vs the sandwich with 800. the Lean Pocket had about 450 if i remember right.

    The above three posts mentioned the exact things that got me started on this idea yesterday.. I didnt' understand what some of you said. i dont mean i dont understand English, but it got me confused. which is how some of Friday's menu happened.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I think the point of going cold turkey on a permanent basis is where alot of us have a problem. Demonizing food with complete abstinence for the rest of your life is just not sustainable... When I first hit rock bottom, I had enough common sense to know I had to get a handle on my food addictions. I knew I had to mentally change my relationship with food first and foremost, that did not mean I couldn't ever have those foods I enjoyed ever again, I just needed to learn that I could enjoy 2 pop tarts and not sit down with a 12 count box and a gallon of chocolate milk and finish them both off in one sitting... So day 1 we literally brought in 2 - 32 gallon trash cans and empty the house of all trigger foods because at that time I had no choice but to remove those items from my presence until such a time that I could introduce them back in at a time I could have control over those foods and not the other way around.. So out they went and in I went into therapy to learn how to deal with my food addictions. What I found out was alot of my food addictions had less to do with the actual food and more to do with other issues that i was using food to suppress. (Severe Depression, Severe Social phobia issues, The loss of my parents 6 months apart, the death my sister, etc) Once I learned to deal with my emotions and I had a better understanding of my issues at that time I started reintroducing those foods that I enjoyed but of course in moderation and only if by preplanning they fit within the confines of my caloric intake and macros.. The majority of my day is filled with whole foods but I do plan discretionary foods too. (Last night it was Breyer's Reese's cup ice cream and hershey's chocolate syrup), Tonight will be an pop tart ice cream sandwich but the whole point is to never demonize any foods and learn to add these foods into your everyday life. Once you can successfully do this you will no longer struggle with binges, falling of the wagon, etc... This is more of a point than bragging but I can walk out to my pantry right now and there is several 12 count boxes of a variety of pop tarts in there, just to name one thing but I haven't had a pop tart in over 2 weeks but I have control over any foods now and they no longer control me so I can preplan my meals based on what I want and right now I am on a baking bread thing. (Pumpkin nut bread). This may or may not be how others approach their relationship with food but this is how I do it.... Best of Luck
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    Hi - yes food can be medication for those things you mentioned.

    Downside is that temporary pleasure can bring on a month of extra weight which does not feel good, so what good is that in the long run :(

    I started cold turkey on some things, and some things even now i leave out. but i dont think everyone stays on cold turkey method for long. I dont think that is sustainable forever. I think introducing some things a little bit might work but careful planning with it can work.

    I am going to try to introduce a few things that i left off for now, but i will use what people have kindly corrected me with and then aim to keep it within MFP macros. Next Saturday i am planning to go have a slice of pizza and try to work on fitting that in properly.
  • khadijak17
    khadijak17 Posts: 393 Member
    from experience going cold turkey leads to unwanted binges and over eating this is the cycle i was in i would cram everything i wanted to eat in a day and then restrict myself and feel awful.
    Its been a month now and i have been following the IIFYM......i dont have days anymore where i just eat eat and then for a few days don't go near anything like that.

    For example today was saturday and my kids wanted a mcdonalds for lunch, we went i chose a happy meal rather than a full blown meal as its 400 calories less, i will now have to work round my calories to have my dinner and snack on low cal food.

    I really wanted some cake the other day so in the afternoon rather than my normal snacking i weighed a piece and logged it.....so i got to eat my cake within my calories but that also meant i had a couple of hundred less to snack on.....you just have to change your diary and foods accordingly.
    You could of had a diet coke and skipped one of the sweets and saved one to fit in for tomorrow....just an example.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    from experience going cold turkey leads to unwanted binges and over eating this is the cycle i was in i would cram everything i wanted to eat in a day and then restrict myself and feel awful.
    Its been a month now and i have been following the IIFYM......i dont have days anymore where i just eat eat and then for a few days don't go near anything like that.

    For example today was saturday and my kids wanted a mcdonalds for lunch, we went i chose a happy meal rather than a full blown meal as its 400 calories less, i will now have to work round my calories to have my dinner and snack on low cal food.

    I really wanted some cake the other day so in the afternoon rather than my normal snacking i weighed a piece and logged it.....so i got to eat my cake within my calories but that also meant i had a couple of hundred less to snack on.....you just have to change your diary and foods accordingly.
    You could of had a diet coke and skipped one of the sweets and saved one to fit in for tomorrow....just an example.
    From experience, going cold turkey leads to that for you. It may not be so for her.

    I also don't really understand this "cold turkey" phrase in this context. It seems to imply that IIFYM people are weaning themselves off of junk instead of cutting it out entirely all at once. I have zero intention of weaning myself entirely off of anything at this point.

    So, my question for you is, with choosing a happy meal one day and a piece of cake another, did you actually hit your macros those days, or did you just stay under/at your calorie goal? Because IIFYM means more than just "not going over your calorie goal."

    I keep hammering on that point because I want to make sure the OP understands the difference, and that IIFYM requires not only that you meet your calorie goals, but also your nutrition goals.

    Also, about the cake or Lean Pocket having fewer calories than the 800 calorie sandwich... which one would fill you up better and provide more nutrients-- the cake, the Lean Pocket, or half the 800 calorie sandwich? These are decisions I make every single time I eat. Eventually you don't have to think too long about it, because you get to know which things will make you feel better, meet your nutritional needs better, and fill you up better. But just because I make these decisions more quickly now doesn't mean I don't go through the mental calculus every single time.

    Oh, edited to add that I finally remembered to mention that my diary is public; feel free to look back as far as you like. I have daily logging of everything that goes into my facehole back to about June 24th. It'll be sporadic from there going back to the first of the year, and I had success commensurate to the commitment to faithful logging, which is to say, I lost zero weight during that time. (But I did get back a lot of the fitness I'd lost over the second half of 2012!)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I'm not willing to open my diary at this time, but normal it looks like this:

    Breakfast:
    Coffee
    Coffee creamer
    Oatmeal bread, toasted with light margarine
    Toasted coconut full fat greek yogurt

    Lunch:
    1 cup 2% cottage cheese
    200 grams raw strawberries
    2 graham crackers

    Dinner:
    6 oz protein
    1 serving starch (potatoes or rice)
    1 serving green veggie

    Snacks:
    2 servings raw veggies
    1 serving raw fruit (peaches are in season)
    1 cup low-cal ice cream (I like Edy's) or 1/2 cup higher calorie gelato


    That's normally. This past week hasn't been normal so I've just been doing the best I can to at least get enough protein.

    that sounds like a really great menu for the day :)

    And the whole concept is that the ice cream fits her macros - and she has got fruits and veggies in.

    Right and just for further reference, about the ice cream:


    Edy's: 1 cup has 240 calories, 6 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat.
    Talenti peanut butter cup: 1/2 cup has 260 calories, 13 grams fat, 5 grams protein
    GS salted caramel gelato: 1/2 cup has 200 calories, 9 grams fat, 4 grams protein

    So if I have a salad and grilled chicken for dinner and my protein and fat are solid, I'll go for the peanut butter cup or the salted caramel.

    If I have homemade pizza for dinner and my fat's a little high and protein is not as high as it could be, I'll go for Edy's.

    Make sense?
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    aha,, i knew it :)

    If you dont mind, can ilook at your food diary to see how you work it in?

    Sorry, went back to bed (was only 3am my time.) And I don't open my diary to the public but I can give you the basic rundown. No ss, since I'm not on my computer.


    Cream of wheat
    3 turkey sausage
    Two slice of toast
    Grape jelly

    White chocolate raspberry quest bar

    Steak plate which is: Steak
    Rice
    Salad
    Catalina dressing

    Nutella fudge ice cream with strawberries, one cup

    Shrimp (homemade with butter, spinach, and cherry tomatoes)
    Pasta, whole grain
    Multi vitamin

    Nutella fudge ice cream with strawberries, one cup
  • ZombieEarhart
    ZombieEarhart Posts: 320 Member

    Hi - your post is an example that kinda freaks me out.. and which i was seeing and thinking, what???!!?? That one paragraph leaves a lot of wondering whats up with that? i dont get it how you can do that... i interpret that as you giving yourself much license to eat treats, but i have a feeling you eat that but within strict limits? Can you explain more specifically about those treats.

    OP: you didn't direct this question at me, but I sense that you're struggling to hear the explenations that others have given, so maybe one more will help?

    Firstly, I hear where you are coming from. I got heavy eating without thought, and clinging to comfort foods. So when I decided. To lose weight, my first order of business was to stop eating all those "bad" foods. Honestly, I was fine with that, at least for the 5 months I did it, but then I realised it was unneccesary. What was wrong with my old eating habits wasn't the second part (junky comfort food) but the first part (eating without thought).

    So here is my process now: I want to eat something. Chocolate, ice cream, Wendy's fries, whatever. Ok, I think. I open my food diary. I CLICK TO TOMORROW. I think about my day's schedule, and figure out if the yummy food is in the house or somewhere I know I will be. Then I LOG IT. Then that evening I do what I do every evening, and log all of tomorrow's food. I look at the numbers. Hmmm, protein is light, can I swap out that banana at lunch for a greek yogurt? Hmmm, that yummy treat pushed my carbs up kinda high. Swap that breakfast bagel for eggs? Success!

    I do this every day. Result? I have a yummy treat every day (sometimes more than one!). This also means that I feel secure in my food choices, that my lunch is packed every day, and that when I find myself hungry at 3pm I already know what to reach for.

    This was a too-long, too-detailed explenation, but I feel like that's what you're looking for. This works for me, I hope it helps. Good luck and best wishes!
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I'm sure what IIFYM actually is has been hashed out already...I just want to add my diary from Wednesday as an example. THIS is what it means. I had ice cream, cookies, and a caramel apple:

    [l]21ad896f-0d6b-4817-a0df-4d86bdef2fd1_zpsf6f4002e.jpg[/URL]
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    I'm sure what IIFYM actually is has been hashed out already...I just want to add my diary from Wednesday as an example. THIS is what it means. I had ice cream, cookies, and a caramel apple:

    [l]21ad896f-0d6b-4817-a0df-4d86bdef2fd1_zpsf6f4002e.jpg
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Hmm , for those of you who can do it, props to you.

    I cant.

    Strange but im fighting it because of what it means to me. Like what i said above. I think i still have a food addiction :( I dont mean to go all psycho-babble on you, but i think thats it. I cant indulge in treats a lot becuse i cant stay within my MFP macros :(

    how do you all do it??? How do you all who enjoy ice cream and pizza do it without going over your portions?

    this is ironic because I indulged a little bit, I must have eaten a ton of food to get myself to where i am today :( If i didn't record that on MFP i would be wondering why i didnt' eat much but still had a lot of calories.

    anyway it was just an experiment today. i dont plan to do this all the time.. but i might still have a little slice of pizza next weekend.

    Can you tell me how i can enjoy such things without messing me up like today?
    If its a day that I know we are going to get pizza, I plan for it. I eat a smaller, healthy breakfast and lunch (very lean protein and vegetables), and do a really good morning workout--like a long run or hour long circuit training. I've eaten 1/2 a pizza for dinner, and fit it into my calorie goal, because I planned ahead.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    from experience going cold turkey leads to unwanted binges and over eating this is the cycle i was in i would cram everything i wanted to eat in a day and then restrict myself and feel awful.
    Its been a month now and i have been following the IIFYM......i dont have days anymore where i just eat eat and then for a few days don't go near anything like that.

    For example today was saturday and my kids wanted a mcdonalds for lunch, we went i chose a happy meal rather than a full blown meal as its 400 calories less, i will now have to work round my calories to have my dinner and snack on low cal food.

    I really wanted some cake the other day so in the afternoon rather than my normal snacking i weighed a piece and logged it.....so i got to eat my cake within my calories but that also meant i had a couple of hundred less to snack on.....you just have to change your diary and foods accordingly.
    You could of had a diet coke and skipped one of the sweets and saved one to fit in for tomorrow....just an example.



    So you got to have your cake and eat it too? Sorry, I just had to go there lol!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    20130803-190802_zps4459ec68.jpg

    Stolen!
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Stolen!
    ? Copyrighted image? Sorry about that. I removed mine.